East head coach Michel Cooper, of the Atlanta Dream, yells to his team during the first half of the WNBA All-Star basketball game, Saturday, July 19, 2014, in Phoenix. The East won 125-124 in overtime. (AP Photo/Matt York)

The WNBA team said Friday that Thursday's procedure was successful and Cooper "will be back coaching soon."

The team announced Monday that the 58-year-old Cooper has early stage tongue cancer. Assistant coach Karleen Thompson is filling in.

Cooper is in his first season with Atlanta. His team leads the Eastern Conference with a 15-7 record. Atlanta plays Chicago on Friday night.

Cooper won five NBA titles as a shooting guard with the Los Angeles Lakers during the "Showtime" era from 1978-90. He coached the Los Angeles Sparks to two WNBA titles and won one NBA Development League championship with Albuquerque.

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